About The Author

I am trained as a doctor and am based in Bangalore. I have written two books- The Heart Runs Alone, which was about relationships, and Dead Air, a thriller.

I try to read books of all genres though I mainly read thrillers, especially books by Cara Hunter, Jo Nesbo, Alice Feeney and Ankush Saikia among many others.

Interview

Q) Tell us about the idea behind the book?

After I had finished my first book, I was reading a lot of thrillers. I wanted to try writing one for myself, one set in India/ Bangalore. I wanted to try something I had not read a lot of myself- not a serial killer kind of story.

Q) How much time did it take in the process of writing?

I write without having the plot fully developed- a technique I wouldn’t really recommend to anyone. I start with an idea and see where it goes as the story is written. So it does take a lot of time. Dead Air took about five years from start to finish, including the rewrites, editing and the really boring stuff.

Q) What did the process of writing this book teach you?

I had done a bit of research while writing about the Internet and its misuse. Very scary. I discovered a lot of things I didn’t know earlier.

Also Read: Interview with Berjis Desai – Author of Oh! Those Parsis and The Bawaji

Q) What inspired you to write this book?

Nothing really specific. A lot of newspaper articles which I found quite interesting were the basis of a few plot points in the end of the book

Q) Which is your favourite part from the book?

More than a favourite part, I liked the various characters which I had created. I suppose you will have a part you liked. Some readers liked a part in the climax which I don’t want to mention to avoid spoiling the fun for others. If I really really have to pick one, maybe the open ending. There was a lot of ‘should I?’ and ‘shouldn’t I?’ there but finally went with ‘I should!’

Q) A book that had an impact on you, which helped you in writing this one?

A book I found very useful in my research was Dark Net by Jamie Bartlett. And a lot of thriller writers whom I much admire, especially Ankush Saikia for the way he builds up the atmosphere.

Q) Tell us about your plans? Planning a new book?

Yes. I thought I could have another book with the main characters in Dead Air. But still a long way to go.

Q) How your life changed after the book was published?

Hopefully not much. I am very grateful to my readers who have shown a lot of love and given positive feedback. At some time, a Google search of the best Indian thrillers of 2021 listed Dead Air in the top 10, for which I was extremely happy. I am also grateful for the critical comments and I hope I can work on that and improve my writing.

Q) What is a literary success for you?

For me, it’s the hope that the reader who has invested time and money in my book or books, is happy at the end of it. The book has fascinated, interested and delighted them- that’s something which defines literary success for me.

Q) A message for all the readers.

Enjoy your reading. Life is too short for boring books. I forget who said that, but its very true. And if you do decide to start writing, enjoy that as well but be aware it’s a lot of really hard work and you need to love the process.

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